Well, it may be to the younger generation, conjuring up a cruel existence of even more sums, more reading, more learning, long after the school bell has rung.
But to us grown ups- whether we have children or not- having “homework” – or more traditionally put- working from home- can be a very welcome change to the daily commute to an office.
An analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data reveals the number of employed people who work from home has dramatically risen from 20 per cent of the entire labour force to 30 per cent in 15 years.
There are now just over 1.3 million people who choose to work from home, and it is predicted that this will continue to rise.
Apart from the bonus of not having to get out of your jammies on a rainy day, and still get your conference calls, your reports and projects done – why are so many workers leaving the hive and working solo?
As much as the social essence of working in an office can be fun and energy inducing, it can also be a huge time waster. The chitchat, the camaraderie, can take a big hunk out of productive work time.
When there is no one around except your pooch, the re-cap of Bachelor in Paradise or Game of Thrones will be way less time consuming. That is unless you have a talking dog!
Commuting
This is almost a dirty word- the time it takes to get to the office has increased as roads become more and more congested. What if, you could claw back 1.5 to 2 hours (sometimes more) per day just by setting up shop in your own home?
The best you
What time do you work best? Do you naturally wake early with ideas and vision and energy that need to be downloaded, and then become of a bit a sleepy bear in the afternoon? Or do you do your best work later in the day?
As long as the work is completed, there is no need to clock on and off when you work from home.
Ka-ching ka-ching
Two coffees per day at $4.00 per cup. Petrol, parking, store bought lunches. It all adds up.
Make your coffee and lunch at home AND you can also write off a portion of your home office expenses on your taxes.
To make it work, to make you work productively, you need to plan ahead and create a work zone. A place you can concentrate, be organised, a place you can step away from at the end of your working day.
So, if you’re serious about making the change, we have compiled a few must haves and must do’s to make working from home, work for you.
28 Kennedy Place, Bayview – an office with one incredible view.
Speed will be your best friend
Nothing will drive you back to the office faster than a slow Internet connection. Get your download speed sorted – and fast. Go wireless if possible to save having a maze of leads taking over your floor and power points.
Space maker
Having a lap top means you can set up shop all over the house, but to be truly work efficient, make sure you have a designated space for your files and office equipment. Having these potentially messy items in one particular area will help with keeping the rest of your home feeling like home.
57 Mary St, St Peters – Light and bright and tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the home. Mary Street
Save your back
You may occasionally switch from the kitchen stool to the lounge but your back will thank you if you invest in a good quality office chair. Or better still a stand up desk or even a balance ball will ensure you are really looking after your body even while you’re working.
Step away from the refrigerator
Yep. Working from home can decrease your travel time but can also increase your waistline.
Set yourself allocated times for morning tea and lunch- just as you would do in an office environment, and if possible, don’t have your work space too near the kitchen- out of sight out of mind will limit those snack attacks!
Size doesn’t matter
You may not have a whole room to dedicate to your homework, but even with just a small space you can have all that you need. Check out these 30 home office ideas from houzz- https://www.houzz.com.au/ideabooks/87831369/list/best-of-the-week-30-sensational-study-spaces
Having “homework” never looked so good!